


A Boring Day

by Sadsnail



Series: Dumbledore Insert [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, accidental adventure, dad severus, oc-insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23444308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadsnail/pseuds/Sadsnail
Summary: Inserted into Dumbledore and de-aged to a four-year-old child, SI decides to fix it all. Snape is there, playing hapless father to the little eager beaver.— This time SI Albus Snape is bored. Adventure happens. Misadventure?
Series: Dumbledore Insert [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1579501
Comments: 20
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know, I thought I was done also. Happy reading!

"Do you need to abuse the furniture?" Severus chided in passing, stopping to tap my foot where I hung like a bat over the living room sofa.

"I do," I said and sighed soulfully. Well, I didn't need to, but being six was a lovely age for contorting your body on furniture and whatnot without having to worry about creaking knees and slipped disks. So I was quite comfortable hanging face down over my favourite sofa, my legs over the backrest and my hair mopping the floor. "I'm bored."

"I would never have guessed."

"Can we go out?" I sent my best pleading eyes his way, Bambi couldn't have done it better. "Maybe to the zoo?"

"Not today, Minerva and I have a meeting later with the new staff."

"Then we don't have to go out, we can do something here and you can just do the meeting after…" Struggling upright I wracked my mind for anything that might sound inviting enough for him to stop work and play with me instead. "We can go fishing!"

"Perhaps the weekend, Albus. Go find something to do. You have enough toys to keep you entertained."

"You can take them all," I moaned. "They're boring."

"Is that so."

"Yes." A lie. They were fun enough yesterday and the day before because they were magical, but today was a different day, wasn't it? And for some reason, absolutely everyone I knew was somehow busy. Playing alone was boring. I told him so and went back to hanging over the chair. Batboy!

"Well, I suppose you being bored is better than the alternative." He started for the door. "Enjoy yourself—"

"What do you mean, the alternative?"

He stopped. Was that a sigh?

"It's a new school year, usually you would be hatching some idiotic plan by now, Albus. No diaries to save? No Dark Plans to foil?"

I stopped my contemplation of the dust bunnies under the chair and twisted around to see him better. He sounded worried, but no, he looked his usual imperturbable self. But he was right. Shouldn't there be something to fix? I know I had promised to tell them if there was instead of running off to do it myself, but still. What was supposed to happen this year? Frankly, it all felt like so much of a dream these days that I hadn't even thought of it.

"I don't think so. Sirius was supposed to escape and Lupin would teach Defense…"—and they would have that fight in the shack, better not say, look how dark his face turned just at the mention of the wolf—"But that won't happen now. Fudge was going to send dementors to guard the school—"

"You're making that up."

"Am not!"

"The school governors would never stand for it and I doubt very much Minister Fudge would lose his mind to senility young, for that's the only way he would stoop so low as to put children in danger."

"Don't ask me then if you're not going to believe me." Oh! I sat up. "When's the Quidditch world cup? Can we go see that? Maybe get a tent—"

"It's next year."

Bugger it.

"What happens at the cup?" He looked like asking was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Veelas… and someone puts the dark mark in the sky, but he's not coming back now, is he?"

"He is not. More helpful would be if you remembered who won."

"Sorry. I just know you shouldn't make bets because someone had fake gold, don't ask me who." I sagged back down. "Well, then there's nothing, Dad. It's going to be a boring year."

"I'm sure you'll find some trouble to get into," he said, scoffing, and this time he finished crossing the room to open his office door, offering over his shoulder: "If you can't find something to do you can go clean your bedroom, it's a pit."

"I'm not that bored!" I shouted after him, but he just waved a hand to say he had heard and did not care. For a moment I considered following him to his office to go complain some more, but contrary to what he believed I was not an idiot. He would change his suggestion to an order and I would find myself stuck doing manual labour in place of entertainment.

I did follow him after a while to tell him I was going out. I found him for a change not behind a cauldron, but scribbling away at his desk. The school was going to open next month and for the teachers it was a never-ending slog with the ever-changing magical curriculum, updating lesson plans, and for Severus auditing his stockroom and getting his budgets approved. The latter of which he seemed to be busy with, if his frown was to go by, and he barely glanced over when I said my piece.

"Stay in the castle. It's going to rain soon," he told me absently.

"Aw, that's bo—" I swallowed the word when he looked up with a full Bat glare at the ready. "Yes, Dad."

Freedom to roam, even if castle bound, was a beautiful thing and relatively recent. It so happened that telling fewer lies made him trust me more, who knew? I hit the hall running.

So many of my misadventures in this world had started with me running out of that portrait, you'd think I would have learned my lesson by now.

* * *

Argus Filch. Caretaker of Hogwarts and general ruiner of children's moods for over half a century. For two years I have been giving that man a wide berth. If I see him at the end of the hall I would make a nice U-turn, if he rounded one corner I would turn another. That's just how scary he was, an old, crabby, cantankerous, cancerous horror of a man who had no business being around children. Topping that, I would never in my life have believed that I would hate a cat. Twice I had a run-in with both and still had nightmares and a scar on my left knee as a result. You had zero power when you were this small, anyone could just pick you up and do what they wanted with you so you were dependent on people's goodwill. Which Argus Filch was born without.

I had no aim to my running, except perhaps the pleasure of exercise. If I had thought about it I might have tried my luck with the kitchen elves for a pudding or maybe would have had a go at searching out the elusive Room of Requirement again. The damn thing had been hiding from me, and Percy, in a rare black mood—I blamed Penelope—had said it just meant the castle was more sensible than most other things around here, people included.

In the end I never got a chance to form any plan, as I rounded a corner on the second floor only for the run to turn into a hazardous slide when I hit a soapy spot. Mister Filch, demon caretaker, either did not believe in wet floor signs or liked causing kids to fall flat on their face. I might have still survived to run away unharmed but for scraped palms and knees, had it not been for Mrs. Norris's tail waiting for me at the end of the skid.

Nothing got the caretaker faster to his post than Mrs. Norris howling her head off.

"My cat!" Argus Filch bellowed, spittle flying, having appeared out of nowhere. "My cat!" he shouted again and grabbed me from the floor to hoist me into the air. "Where's my cat!? What have you done to Mrs. Norris!?"

Dangling in the horrible man's grip, his putrid breath washing over me, my first instinct was to plead. "She's fine, I promise! She just ran off! It was an accident! Please let me go!"

"It was no accident, you all have it in for poor Mrs. Norris! I've had about enough of you! Sneaking about, looking for trouble—don't think I don't see you running away! There's no one to help you now!" he thundered above my head and started down the hall half carrying, half dragging me.

"Please, Mr. Filch! My dad's looking for me!" I know. Pathetic. I should have bitten him but I gagged when the thought came up. The man smelled like layers of sweat that had not seen soap in a decade.

"Who's searching for you, you little bastard?" He shook me until my teeth rattled, and cackled: "Shout all you want! Help! Go on! Help! Today you will see what happens to awful children who hurt Mrs. Norris! I will hang you from your ankles!"

That's it! Enough! Twisting to aim for his family jewels, I kicked out in self-preservation, and he retaliated with a backhanded smack that made my ears ring and my cheek throb in a white-hot pulse.

"I will tell my Dad!" I yelled and swallowed a sob.

"I'm not scared of Master Snape, I've seen him as a snot-nosed little bastard 'imself and the things I've to tell!"

That had been his threat the other two times also. As threats went it was very effective. There was no way I was going to let this horrible man near my dad. This time when he shook me I hung limp, my heart thundering in my ears. He tightened his grip around the back of my neck and opened his office door—a dank smelling hole with barely any light—and, beyond scared now, I grabbed for the doorway but he ripped me free and threw me in.

Gasping for air, my head nearly exploding, I pitched forward and everything went black.

When the colours returned it was in a mad, nauseating swirl. By now too familiar with wizarding travels I did the only thing I could: I tucked my elbows in, squeezed my eyes shut and clasped my hands over my mouth, praying I wouldn't be spliced into two, or worse, sick up at the end of it. I landed with a jarring impact to my feet and tumbled painfully to my knees.

Mad-Eye Moody was maybe the best thing that had happened to the Defence class since the curse. He kept saying no curse would ever get the better of him and kids whispered that so far he had only lost a toe to the DADA one. I've sneaked into enough lessons, pretending I didn't notice his electric blue orb rolling to watch me creep in, to have learned some basic magical-life skills. The first thing to do on apparition is to open your damned eyes toot-sweet for there may be a dragon at the other end of your little trip, lasses and laddies!

There was a cow at the other end of mine.

* * *

You would be excused if you had thought: Weasleys! You're safe, little Albus, and there might even be pie! I certainly did, but more places in the world considered cows to be a good addition to their stock and one of them was the London Zoo. I had petted this exact cow last week and the week before that.

It pressed its huge black nose against mine and gave me a lick. Its big fat tongue felt like wet sandpaper against my cheek and I hurriedly scrambled away as it did not combine well with Filch's wallop. A group of schoolchildren ran screaming past me trying to catch a miniature goat, nearly giving me a heart attack—if Bat Dad was here he would have given them what for!

"Move along," a woman said from behind and a hand fell on my head. "Where's your partner—oh, not one of ours, are you lost?"

She was a school teacher, I could spot them easily by now. She had the weary, pinched look around her eyes that spoke of someone who had a too-long day already, even before first tea. Looking at me now, her strained smile started to turn into a frown and I did not need a crystal ball to see what was bothering her. Even with needing a haircut I still didn't look like a girl and was currently in my favourite blue robe which only managed to pass for a dress from afar.

"No, Miss, my mum's buying ice cream." I gave her my most winning smile and felt my cheek throb. Oh, God, did he leave a mark? "I'm getting ice cream 'cos I fell!" Just because I didn't lie so much didn't mean I lost the ability. And dammit, now I wanted ice cream. "Sorry, Miss, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers!" I called inanely and slipped away before she could get ideas. Women were much more observant of what child belonged where, and the less she saw of me the better. I could feel her eyes on my back as I sprinted off.

The petting zoo was a rectangular enclosure filled with sand and hay, chicken coops and miniature pens. It was not my favourite place in the zoo, I liked looking more than touching, but Dad brought me here every time and I liked to humour him. I slipped past the sheep, skirted the turtles and jumped over a rabbit that appeared out of nowhere.

Behind the little chicken coop I checked my pockets for muggle money. There was none. Ice cream would have to stay a dream. I had my wand, two liquorice strings, and a fist-sized rock. It didn't look like anything special and could even be a piece of cemented gravel for all I knew, and for the life of me I couldn't remember where I picked it up or what I had wanted it for. I put it back just in case. Still, it was much better than finding a frog and not remembering how it got there, which had happened twice now.

I set off to find the nearest curb where I planned to raise my wand and hope to convince Stanley to let me pay him back. If I could get home without being missed then this could be just a little adventure that no one needed to know of. I was enough of a clutz that Dad would believe I fell. I'd rather say that than touch on the festering sore that was building between me and the caretaker. No way was I going to let him run his mouth on Dad, you're not supposed to blame people their whole life for things they did as kids. Still, if I did not get home in time for lunch at least then I could consider myself in big trouble.

Even here the sky was overcast and I had not walked ten steps when a light rain started to drizzle down on us. No one seemed to care or bother with umbrellas, children of all ages were running about having the best time, but for me it just underscored my depressed mood.

My face hurt more than my knees and palms did from the skid on the hallway, a low throb that did not want to let go. I took a chance and slipped into the girls' bathrooms which in general was a better smelling affair than that of the boys, and also they tended not to break their mirrors. There I stared at myself in horror. The asshole had given me a bruised cheek, three bright red finger marks still visible—no way could I make that off as anything else but a smack! I splashed water on it and swore under my breath, this was not good. Maybe the swelling would go down if I gave it a little bit more time... I could go see a few animals on the way to the gates, that's what I would do. I scraped my hair forward, turning myself into an emo kid which was better than nothing. A gaggle of girls chose that moment to come in and I slipped out, keeping my head down.

We've been to the zoo a few times over the years and more frequently this last summer, whenever I could manage to twist Dad's arm. There was space to run, snacks to be had, animals to fawn over and all topped off with a picnic lunch in the shade of the trees where Dad fussily cast a bug away charm on the grass before settling down with a book.

Without fail he would doze off within two minutes, leaving me with the freedom to rest my head on his stomach and watch the clouds. As an outing it was lovely. He followed patiently wherever I dragged him and let us stay until I was satisfied the day was done, carrying me without complaint on his shoulders when walking became too much. I also got to see him in muggle clothes and having him walk about in denim and t-shirts and just be a regular person was a treat. I'll be honest to say I was very appreciative of this second chance I had been given, but it took nearly two years to get to the point where we could enjoy each other's company.

The zoo was not the same without him. I stayed around families as much as possible, not wanting attention from the guards, and though I got to have a look at my favourites it was all spoiled by the constant gnawing knowledge that I needed to get home. Even so, my stomach plunged when I caught sight of a tall, dark-haired man walking purposefully towards me, but it was not my dad and I didn't know whether I was glad or not. He passed me by without looking and I sagged against the railings.

I wanted to go home. Now I was glad for the rain as it hid my pathetic tears and I slogged on, barely seeing the animals, finally taking shelter between the snake houses where I had a good cry.

"Albus? Albus Snape, is that you?"

Heart in my mouth, I twisted around but there was no one. Not even Muggles, for I was in a secluded spot between the buildings, trying to build courage for the last leg home. "Who's there!?" I quavered.

"Oh, my apologies!" the voice called, not sounding like anyone I knew, and the next morment a man's head floated in front of me. When I gasped he slipped the invisibility cloak off and bent over me. A pale young man with straw-coloured hair and freckles, he looked to be in his early thirties and seemed tired. He was wearing a dark robe, very similar to the ones dad liked so much. "Here now," he said. "That's better, oh you are little Albus, I'm sure of it, is your dad here?" He looked around as if expecting my dad to pop up like he did.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He laughed. "I am your dad's very best friend, we were supposed to meet up soon. Did you get lost?"

"No!"

"Oh, dear me, of course you wouldn't get lost, you're not a baby anymore, are you. My how you've grown…" his eyes narrowed on my face and he caught my chin in his bony fingers to swipe my hair off my cheek. "Now who would be hitting such a lovely lad? Don't tell me your da—"

"It wasn't him! He would never hit me!"

"Hm. Yes, Severus always was too soft. Do you want to tell me then who did it? You've also not yet said where your dad was."

"It was just some kid."

He turned my face again, clearly not believing a word I said. "And where's Severus?"

"Home." I should bite my bloody tongue right off. Why did I tell him that!?

"Spinner's End?"

"No," I said and sagged in relief. He did know dad then. I could feel my bottom lip wobble. "Hogwarts…"

"And you're here all on your own? That's hardly possible… did you have a little mishap perhaps?" he asked in a kind tone. "Do you need help?"

Sniffling more now at the unexpected sympathy, I broke down and told him all.

"There-there," he patted my back. "What do you say we get you home, will you let me help?"

I nodded and took the hand he held out.

He slipped the invisibility cloak over both of us, and called: "Winky! Take us home!"


	2. Chapter 2

The world swirled around me and if I never traveled by magical means again it would be too soon. Through it all, the bony fingers clamped onto my hand, a horrible lifeline. I was in the clutches of the man who had tortured the Longbottoms to insanity. Barty Crouch Junior. I had completely forgotten about him, Moody was safe at school and there was to be no tournament so where was the need?

"Thank you, Winky. The fresh air had done me the world of good," said Barty when we appeared inside a bedroom, the elf setting us lightly down on our feet. He threw the invisibility cloak off me but kept it over himself, only making a split to show his face. It was morning but the room was dark, the curtains were drawn, and I couldn't make much out in the gloom beyond a large bed and dresser. I shuddered and prepared to scream but Barty was one ahead.

"Now where shall we put this one, Winky? Can you mute him if he screams?" he asked. His face floated down and he looked at me with wide, demented eyes. "You're not going to scream, are you, little Albus?" he asked, ever so sweetly.

I quaked.

"No, sir."

My teeth tried to chitter but I had eaten enough secret ice mice by now to handle that, and I clamped my jaw down. I already had one run-in with crazy today and had learned that threats in the line of 'my dad will look for me' were useless unless I wanted to make him angry. Instead, I said: "I'll be very quiet."

I gave my knees permission to tremble though, for they were well hidden under the robe and would not give me away.

It was probably for the best to play along. After all, this was my home now. Here I will live to the end of my days. I certainly did not want to go back to Dad and tell him I willingly went with a man that I did not know from Adam. I had no death wish.

Behind Barty Crouch Jr stood a small house-elf, wringing her pillowcase in distress. Winky. She looked ready to faint which was something I would have liked to do. If I could faint and wake up when my Dad gets here, that would be lovely.

"...are you listening to what I am saying?" Barty snapped, bringing my attention back to him. "I will repeat myself only once. You will stay in this room, you will not make any noise or Winky here will put you in my trunk forever. Do you understand?"

I nodded. "Can I whisper?"

"I don't know, can you?"

"Yes, sir," I whispered. "What are you going to do to me?"

"If you are a good little boy, nothing, and when your daddy comes I will let you go." He pulled a face. "Children are just trouble."

"You'll let me go with my dad?" So why keep me here? Wait, had I been abducted or not? Why did he want to put me in the trunk then? "You're going to call my dad?" I forgot to whisper and Winky rushed forward to clamp her hand over my mouth, hissing: "Shh!"

"Oh let him be, Winky, Father is at work, he wouldn't expect us home so soon. After all, it's not every day I get an outing as a treat," he said, confusing the hell out of me. What? Am I allowed to scream now? He snorted at me. "Such an innocent little soul, of course I will be owling your daddy to come and fetch you. Winky! My quill!" he called imperiously.

"Yes, Master Barty," Winky said and let me go. She hopped two steps to a desk, picked up a quill and placed it in the hand he held out. He then took the same two steps to the desk and sat down. His back to me and covered with the cloak, I could now just see a floating hand. I was left forgotten to stand and gape at the comedy act. Only it wasn't funny. My stomach hurt and I would give anything— _anything_ —to be back home, even if it meant I had to hang on Filch's wall.

"What shall we write to Master Snape? We cannot let him meet us here, it will be poor old Bertha all over again if Father saw and we need to see his memories to make our little plan work. Hmm. What a felicitous meeting, little Albus. Severus will do just fine, don't you think, Winky? The park? You can stand behind a tree and knock him over the head, oh, if only we had a wand our life would be so much better!"

"Master Crouch had not allowed us to go to the park today," Winky said, pulling her ears in stress. "Only the zoo."

Listening to them nearly made me barf. I slipped my hand into my pocket and clutched my wand, trying inanely to remember whether he had stolen Harry or Ron's wand at the Tournament. Best not to let him find mine, Dad could recover from a rock but could he from a spell he did not know was coming? Could I maybe use it to escape? Dad had been teaching me spells and I could now tie my shoes, cast all the primary colours, and make a tiny pink night light that lay on the carpet, refusing to float. It also stayed pink no matter what I did or how I swore at it. None of these would help me here, Winky could subdue me easily even if I escaped Barty. Something niggled in the back of my mind. Oh.

"Why do you want to see my dad's memories?"

"How else would I be able to take his place? Hush now, let me think."

The world tilted and I just had to ask: "W-why do you want to take his place?"

"Oh dear, please put him in the trunk, Winky, I need to think—"

"I'll be quiet if you tell me why—I swear!"

He sighed. "Revenge."

"Revenge?! What had my dad ever done to you?!"

The disembodied hand threw the quill down and the chair was pushed back abruptly. Barty twisted to float his face at me, and what a face! His eyes glittered demonically and his features pulled into a horrifying rictus of pure, unadulterated hate. "For one, he had been next to our Lord and Master and did he aid him? No! He helped them kill him! He should suffer for that! The whole school will suffer once I've taken over! We owe it to our Master to complete his plan! With Dumbledore gone there's no one strong enough to stop us!"

He started pacing the room, nearly frothing at the mouth as he expounded on his plans. "It is time the wizarding world learned who to fear!" he shouted and raved on and on while I trembled in horror.

* * *

They did not put me in the trunk.

Barty exhausted himself with his villainous tirade and Winky put him to bed, cloak and all. Did the asshole never remove it? She sat next to him and rubbed his brow until he fell into a fitful sleep, before pulling the cloak to cover every part of his body. Then she gave me a chocolate frog and told me to sit in the corner while she went to prepare lunch.

"You choose, little Master Snape, the corner or the trunk."

Corner it was. Never had I hated a house-elf before. There was Cappy who was a pain in the ass, always siding with dad on his recent health spree, expounding the value of apples over cake, but I didn't hate him. I vowed there and then to stop calling him Crappy, for Winky beat him by far. I sat with my back to the wall and watched Barty sleeping, wondering if Dad would count this as enough of a punishment already. On the desk, the half-written parchment lay waiting.

Would Winky knew if I got up? Maybe I could leave Dad a code… scratch some letters that spelled Barty, would he get it? What if he didn't and all I managed was to get myself thrown into the trunk… I shuddered, spying the black trunk at the foot of Barty's bed. Was that the one?

The rest of my time was spent wondering whether I should eat the chocolate frog or not. In the end, I decided not to. I could already hear Dad complain, "It's bad enough that you went off with a total stranger, Albus, but then you follow that particularly idiotic move with accepting their sweets? Do you need to go see Poppy?" No. I set the frog aside. I was in enough trouble already.

That brought the problem of lunch. Barty was still sleeping when Winky brought me a tray and left me in a quandary. If I refused the sweet but ate the food… then I could just as well have eaten the sweet, right? Both could be drugged or neither. I could be here for days, weeks… For the rest of my life if I was going to hide from Dad's wrath, and I couldn't refuse their food forever, could I? But I haven't been here for more than a few hours yet, maybe I should refuse this meal at least.

Barty flopped on his back with a massive snore, his face peeking through the cloak scaring the bejeezus out of me. Solving the dilemma of the food I whiled away some more time throwing peas at his open maw. All my problems would be gone if I could get him to choke on one. Or… I felt for my pocket where my own rock lay heavy, begging to be used…

I was saved from committing my first murder by Winky rushing in to take the tray and to throw another invisibility cloak over me. "Be quiet now little Master, if Master Barty's father finds you, he will be most displeased. Don't think he will help, he cares more for the young master than anyone else," she warned, hissing. "So be quiet, little Master Snape if you want to live."

I clutched the cloak around me and made myself small in the corner. I did, oh I did! I also remembered Bertha going crazy after Crouch senior erased her memories. There was a time when I had thought it would be nice to lose my memories and just be a child, it was too confusing vacillating between the old and the new me, but not now. The last two years had been the best in my life and I did not want to lose them.

* * *

Winky came back with an older, more corpulent version of Barty. He stopped next to the bed where Barty was snoring away, his face still the only part visible. And peas. Quite a bit of my lunch looked as if it hung suspended in the air where it had fallen short of their target and gotten stuck in the folds of his invisibility cloak. I held my breath.

"Master Barty was tired," she whispered, wringing her hands and pulling her ears where she hopped next to Crouch Senior. "Too much excitement at the zoo, Master Crouch."

"Close his face, I don't want to see any part of him!" he snapped.

Winky jumped forward to do so, sparing a glance in my direction when she vanished my nourishing projectiles. "He was a good boy," she squeaked—the liar!—but Crouch was already striding out of the room and paid no attention to her even as she rushed to follow him.

I was left alone with the snoring wizard. I stared at the open doorway. Shouldn't they be locking Junior in? I had been wracking my mind trying to remember details of the books, by now they all felt so far away in the past that it gave me a throbbing headache. All I could get was that his dad Imperiused him to stay with the house-elf or something and that he was forever stuck under the invisibility cloak. The Quidditch World Cup had been a treat for good behaviour just like the zoo.

I stared at the open door. They had given me an invisibility cloak.

Freedom! I slipped out of the bedroom like a ghost in the night, _sneaky Batboy extraordinaire_ , setting off in search of a toilet.

* * *

I did my business, guzzled some water and was halfway back to the bedroom, praying Barty had not woken up yet, when finally I grew a brain. Forever after when I told the story of my great escape: how I had sneaked my way out of the labyrinth that was the Crouches' domain, how I tiptoed past the kitchen where the elf was boiling her ears, how I had to stand on the back of a chair to unlock the highest chain on the front door, nearly falling and breaking my neck… when I told all of that I would skip the little bathroom side-trip.

Once out the door I did not hesitate, and putting speed to my escape I ran down the garden path—freedom within sight!—only to crash face-first into an invisible barrier. Hands grabbed at me and plucked me into the air. This time I was not going down without a fight! I lashed out, shouting and kicking with everything I had in me.

"Let me go!"

"Here now, settle down," Moody said, and beyond him, I could hear my dad ask, "Albus?"

"Dad!"

I was passed from one invisible person to another and again, and when I reached one that was too thin and smelled like potions I clutched myself to him with a happy shout.

"Take him away, we will sort things here," Moody advised. "There's only the two of them and the elf, did I miss anyone, Albus?"

"No, sir—" I started but was not allowed more as we disapparated out.

* * *

We appeared outside the Ministry of Magic.

I gagged, and Dad patted my back. "I want to go home," I wailed, clutching his neck in a death grip when he walked into the building. "Why are we here?"

"It is the closest Floo connection to Minerva's office, but we will wait to make sure Moody has arrested them, and you need to tell your part. I want to finish with this," Dad said. "Did they hurt you?" He cast a Finite on himself and tried to set me down in order to remove the cloak, but I refused to let go and he seemed happy enough to hold on to me also. He ended up banishing the cloak off me and his dark gaze narrowed in on my face. "Who hit you?"

"No one, Dad! I fell!"

* * *

He didn't repeat the question. Instead, he carried me into the Ministry and up to Madam Bones' office, where he made me relay my day to the woman.

I told them everything from my accidental apparition, making it sound as if I had just slipped on a wet floor and woke up in the zoo, to the moment they found me in the garden. I told them of Winky and the Imperius and did my best to remember every threat Barty had spouted. Through it all Dad sat with a stoic face, paler than I had ever seen him before, keeping me firmly on his lap. I didn't mind at all.

It turns out they've been watching the Crouches ever since Bertha's catastrophic visit. They had no evidence of anyone's involvement but for a small appointment noted in her diary. Just this morning the healers were able to extract some of her memories and they planned a raid for this afternoon while Crouch senior was at work.

Then dear Barty left the house. Curious to see where he would want to go, they followed instead of apprehending him. Imagine their surprise when they saw the son of a former Death Eater meet with an escaped prisoner. Calling Hogwarts they learned that the whole school had been searching for me ever since my dad's alarm went off, and it took some time for my dad and Moody to make themselves part of the magical SWAT team. Dad had thrown some threats about and they figured better to keep him where they could see him.

That was all fine and well but the thought that they might not trust me after all this time had me quaking and I sat up, pulling out of his embrace. I couldn't say much with Madam Bones watching, but did insist: "I didn't meet him, he found me!"

"So we explained, yes." Dad sighed. "We also reminded them that you were a six-year-old child." He pressed his lips together. His black eyes were glittering. Danger Bat was seething but none of that was audible in his voice. The wizard was biding his time until he could get me alone, I just knew it. "Why on earth would you go off with a stranger, Albus? What did he lure you with, sweets?"

"I thought he knew you…" I confessed, and it sounded so idiotic that I didn't need him to do more than tsk to burst into penitent tears, and I flung myself at him. "I'm sorry!"

* * *

Then we had the office to ourselves.

"What alarm?" I asked him through my sobs, remembering. As far as I knew the school had no alarm.

He showed me the watch that Molly had given him for Christmas. It clipped open to a normal clock face, which he flipped up again to reveal another. Colourful sections from green to red were notated: Traveling. School. In Trouble. Mortal Peril. A small blue hand with my name on pointed to traveling. "It went from In Trouble to Mortal Peril shortly after you left our rooms," Dad said.

Only then did it fully hit me just what could have happened to me in the Crouch residence. I burst into renewed tears.

When I finally cried myself out, he handed me his handkerchief, mopped me up and asked again: "Who hit you, Albus, and no more lies."

I told him, mumbling it into his neck.

"Speak up."

I never fared well when put on the spot. "I said Mister Filch smacked me, Dad! How-come your bat ears hear only what they want to, yesterday you heard me crunch a crisp through two walls!"

"Is this how you want the conversation to start?"

"No. Sorry."

"Argus told me you pestered his cat and when he reprimanded you, you kicked him and ran off. Care to explain that?

"You're going to believe him and not me?" This was a new one.

"Did I say anything that made you think I am not believing you, I am simply asking for an explanation."

"No, you said care to explain that. I can't explain why he lied! He tried to throw me in his office to hang me up by my ankles. Of course I was going to kick him, should I have said thank you, please gimme another?!"

"I am sure he did not mean harm, it was just a threat, Albus. I've told you this before, threats are the only thing standing between him and a school full of pranking children with weapons—"

"So I can start biting people again? I don't have magic either, so I can get physical with people, is that what you're saying?"

"No one is pranking you, are they?" He sounded like he was searching for patience but I did not care. He was making excuses for a horrible man, and that I did care about.

"I've only seen Peeves prank him, Dad. The kids are too scared."

This casual abuse just because the children had magic was my end. No one ever spoke up about things like Neville's uncle dropping him through the window, and everyone accepted Filch as a comical feature of Hogwarts. Even the kids, scared as they were, did not think there was anything abnormal going on when he gave them strenuous punishments or threatened them with a whipping.

"He is a horrible man," I told him, feeling I've reached my limit. "You grew up with him, are you telling me he was all sweetness and light and that the kids made him like this!? How was he when you were a kid, he always said he wished he could go back to the times when he was allowed to beat kids, Dad! He is not just threatening! I did nothing except slide on his wet floor and accidentally step on the bloody cat's tail! For that he dragged me to his office, threatened to expose every stupid thing you did as a kid if I told you, and said he was going to hang me up on his wall! His wall is full of chains!"

I was at full volume now and someone stuck their head into our office to see what all the shouting was about but hurriedly removed himself when both Dad and I turned to glare at him. How could I make the Stubborn Bat understand that this was just not acceptable?

"He smacked me, Dad! You never smacked me once when I kicked you, you never even threatened so why do you allow him to do it!? I'm not going back home while he is there!" I declared. The way things were going Dad would probably make me apologise to that horrible man and I would have to suffer his gloating!

"That is not your choice to make, Albus—"

Still he didn't understand how serious I felt about this? Then I needed to up the ante.

" _You can drop me off at Charlotte's!_ If you don't do that then I will write to her mum to fetch me and I will stay in my room until they do!"

If that didn't get it through to his thick skull nothing would. For over a year now I had been paying my horrible cousin not to speak to me, with an extra galleon thrown into the pot if she didn't look at me either. That was the only tolerable way to live through family gatherings that had her in it.

"I don't want to go to the castle if he is there and I don't want to live with you if you're just going to excuse what he did!" I pushed off his lap and flung myself into the sofa opposite. I was done with him. I might have done some idiotic things this time but I had a hard day and not all of it was my fault. Snape just watched me, not saying a word, and not to see his ugly bat face I squeezed my eyes shut and clamped my hands to my ears.

Somewhere along the line I must have fallen asleep, for when I opened my eyes I had a blanket over me and Tonks sat in my dad's place, keeping watch.

"Where's my dad?"

"Organising some stuff. Do you want to eat? He said we can go to the cafeteria."

"No," I said and closed my eyes again. I didn't want anything.

She made me sit up again and took a photo of my face. For the investigation, she said and then left me alone to my sulk.

* * *

"It is not easy getting rid of a man that worked for over a decade in the school," Snape said when he finally returned. Outside it was starting to get dark already and I had been getting hungrier by the minute.

"Whatever," I said, and crossed my arms. It should be easy enough. Tell him to go and help him pack. Give him a cat carrier. Whatever.

He pursed his lips but did not correct my attitude. Ha! Because he knew he was wrong!

"Even if we did not make an official complaint against him, he would still need time to pack and get his things in order," Snape said. "For the time being, he is suspended, pending investigation, but the school is his only home so you and I will be staying in Dumbledore's cottage until it is over. Are you ready to go? I packed our bags and Madam Bones connected her Floo."

Suspended, pending investigation. I must have heard wrong. Even so, I was not about to give way so easily and just shrugged. What did it matter if I was ready, he already said I was not the one to make choices here. When they decided in favour of Filch, like they surely would, that was the time that I would make up my mind on this.


	3. Chapter 3

Dumbledore's cottage was a 1906 clapboard house overlooking a private beach in Cornwall. It belonged to Aberforth now, but he had offered its use to us as a holiday home, insisting that Dumbledore would have wanted it so. It was a nice spot to unwind from all the stress that 8 months of being around school children brought, and twice now we've spent a week there before moving on to see the family.

The living area and kitchen was open plan, with a full bathroom downstairs. Dumbledore had converted the first floor into a library study combination and the bedroom was on the second floor. The front set of windows looked out on the water and a private sandy beach down a pebbled path, and the back on a flower-filled garden and tranquil orchard. Last time we came Da-Severus had added a swing.

I slipped out of his grip to go have my sulk in the bedroom but was thwarted by Poppy's unexpected presence in the small living room.

"There you are, Albus!" she exclaimed and scooped me up into a motherly hug. "We were so worried!"

That was enough to bring me to tears. Honestly, I am not such a crybaby anymore, it was just the type of day. Snape passed us with some comment about unpacking which I ignored, too busy soaking up her hugs and petting. I didn't much care what he did anyway. Not at that moment, at least.

As soon as I stopped crying, she turned my face to see the damage. "Argus did this to you?"

"I don't know why you're surprised, Poppy. He—"

"None of that now, in all his years Argus had never laid his hands on anyone, don't think for a moment the parents would have accepted that," Poppy said.

I found that hard to believe. And if he could threaten me to stay quiet what was to stop him doing that to others?

"I'm sure he hasn't been kicked before either," Snape said in passing, on the way to the kitchen.

"Well, I'm sorry! Next time I will just let him drag me wherever he pleased!"

He stopped, and when he turned he looked ready for a fight. _Yeah? Bring it on!_

No one brought anything on. For some reason, he deflated as soon as his eyes fell on me. Poppy scooped me up for a bath and directed Snape to bring my pajamas. That didn't mean I did not glare at him over her shoulder. This was war!

She filled a warm tub for me and in a too familiar routine helped me out of my robe, the material stiff from the day's misadventure; slippery floors, the muddy zoo, the rain, all had left their mark on the cloth. Severus came when she tended my scrapes and bruises, entering after a short knock.

"Argus?" he asked, touching the finger-shaped bruises behind my neck.

"I don't know."

I didn't. It was all starting to blend into a horrible experience that I did not want to talk about anymore. He set my pajamas on the bench and left with my discarded clothes.

* * *

Poppy had brought us dinner also and Severus had it warmed up and ready when my bath finished. I took one look at the mushy peas and did an about-turn, right back to the bathroom where I sicked up.

Severus got there first and held my bangs out of my face, then helped me brush my teeth, transfiguring a step for the high sink. Familiar motions after two years, and I automatically let him before I remembered I was angry at him and shook his hands off.

"I'm going to sleep," I told them, making for the stairs.

Neither stopped me.

* * *

The cottage had only one bedroom that we had shared easily in the past; it was nice not to sleep alone when we traveled. Snape would transfigure a cot for me, but I usually eschewed it to curl up with him. Tonight he hadn't, and for a moment I considered sleeping on the floor. In the end I never believed in cutting your nose to spite your face, though, and I crawled into bed.

"I'm not going to tell you to stop being angry at me, but I will ask you to eat," Severus said when he followed soon after with a sandwich and glass of milk. "It's cheese."

My stomach said yes please.

He set the tray on the bed and sat himself down wordlessly in a floral patterned monstrosity that fitted well with any chair Dumbledore had ever owned. The wizard had had no taste.

The quiet didn't last long. It took him exactly one half of the cheese sandwich to say: "You've never had problems with Argus before."

"I never told you about it before."

"He hurt you then also?"

I shook my head. There were always people around, so probably that's why.

"Did you think I would not believe you?"

"I don't know." No, that's not right, he always believed me when it mattered and saw easily enough through any lies. "No." I picked at the bread, breaking it into tiny pieces. "He said he would tell people about the things you did," I finally told him, wishing he would be done with this conversation already.

"That won't get him far."

"What do you mean?" Did he have something on Filch also?

"Everyone is aware of my past." He sighed. "Most had forgiven me by now, I've done enough in the last decade to make up for it, making sure the next generation does not make the same mistakes. They know what I'm about. Those that cannot forgive me I cannot blame, Albus."

I didn't think he was taking it seriously enough. What was to stop Argus from spilling everything now in the investigation? Wasn't he worried? "What if it was something that got you kicked out of the school or sent to Azkaban?"

"Such as?"

"Harry." The bread squeezed through my fingers. "The prophecy."

"Ah."

I couldn't look at him and squashed the bread some more instead.

"People already know about it," he said.

"What?" I twisted around to gape at him.

"It is in my court records. Most likely that was why Longbottom treated me as if I was going to eat him when he started school."

"Harry knows?"

He nodded. It was as hard as ever to see what he was thinking.

"How?"

"Molly and Arthur informed him. We thought it best."

"When?" It was like pulling teeth! I tried to remember if ever Harry acted hateful to Severus but most I got was that the kid stayed away from him. But then again, none of them were very interested in being around a teacher whenever we visited.

"His first summer with them. He hasn't discussed it with me yet, Albus, but he knows he can. Is this what Argus was threatening to expose?"

"I don't know." It was always the vaguest of threats. "Things about school."

"So you were personally worried about the prophecy then?"

I shrugged.

"My life is an open book, Albus. The Daily Prophet and Rita Skeeter had worked hard to achieve that. The only secret that they still need to discover is you and I can promise you few would care—"

"But what if you got kicked out!"

"If we have to leave Hogwarts for any reason, then we would be fine. I have enough resources to make a good life for us anywhere we want to go." He reached over and removed the ruined sandwich from my fist, then wiped my fingers carefully. "I am sorry about Argus. We've all grown too used to him and his ways; he had become part of the institution. Which doesn't make it right, and I am sorry you had to suffer for it."

"Other kids too, Dad."

"Do you know for sure?"

I didn't. "He's always threatening and mental abuse is bad enough, isn't it? When I came here you were fighting with Dumbledore because he wanted you to do that to Harry, so you can spy. So why let Filch do it, it's the same isn't it?"

"You're right, and the board will investigate," he said. "And I'm sorry for what I asked, at no point do you deserve to be hurt by him or anyone no matter what."

Whatever. "I want to sleep."

He took my half-eaten half squashed food away. "Do you want a new sandwich before you sleep?"

I suddenly felt too tired to answer him and just lay back down, this time pulling the comforter over my head.

* * *

I had a restless night, waking frequently to check that I was still in the cottage and not Barty's room, dreaming I apparated again and again. The miserable rainy weather did not help; if it wasn't nightmares then it was the storm waking me from my fitful sleep, the thunder so much like Filch's bellowing that each time I feared he had found me. It was difficult to stay angry at Severus through his patient, soothing ministrations, but I tried my best and prevailed.

When Severus got up way too early I just moaned and stuck my head under my pillow. He ever so kindly let me sleep in, only rousing me late morning, the sun already shining bright in the room.

"It is time to wake up."

"Why? Do I have to go save the world or something?"

"I don't know, Albus, do you?"

"No." Sarcastic Bat. I pulled the comforter over my head. "I'm staying in bed today."

"Breakfast in ten minutes, I want you down," he said.

Exactly ten minutes later he came and carried me down, carelessly slung over his shoulder.

"Why!?" I howled when he clomped us down the stairs.

"You will never sleep tonight if you don't get up now," he said and dropped me into a kitchen chair.

A stupid reason, it's not as if I slept anyway. I was about to turn tail and run back up again when I spied the plate filled with sausages and eggs. My stomach grumbled. I'll eat first and then go back to bed, he can't stop me.

He could stop me without even moving a muscle. My empty plate floated off, an animated wet dishcloth attacked my face, and parchment and writing paraphernalia flew over to replace my plate.

"I'm not apologising to anyone!" I sputtered past the dishcloth and tried to duck under the table to escape the cleaning menace. "Please _Finite_ this thing!"

"Give it your hands," Bat Dad said unbothered. "You don't need to write any apologies."

Lines then? Was he going to try that one again? "I refuse to write any lines, what did I do wrong?!"

"Besides going off with a stranger?"

Oh, that. I gave the cloth my hands and watched it swipe egg residue off my thumb. A very interesting process. Truly amazing. La la.

"We will discuss that later, don't imagine we won't," the Bat said. "No lines. You're going to spend today writing down everything you remember from the books, we should have done this before. I don't want any more surprises."

"That will take forever!"

"So be it."

"But I changed things, lots won't happen—like Malfoy didn't give the diary and there's not going to be a Triwizard championship, lots of things are different!"

"Write it down anyway."

I eyed the front door.

"If I have to cast a sticking charm on your butt, I will."

I wrote. I spent the whole morning on it. And no, I did not write everything. There's no way in the world I was going to tell him he killed Dumbledore, for one. I drew skulls in the margins just to let him know I was not happy at all with the task, but I wrote.

"We could be on the beach now," I complained when he let me stop for a cookie break. The front door was open to the salty ocean breeze, birds sang outside and blue skies beckoned.

"I thought you wanted to stay in bed today."

That didn't even deserve an answer. "I can continue this tomorrow…"

"If you finish it today you won't need to."

"If I finish it today, wasting the WHOLE DAY on it, and it rains the WHOLE DAY tomorrow I will throw a fit," I warned.

"You may try your luck if you so wish."

* * *

_  
The End._

_Thanks for reading!_


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